Judy's Dutch Barn Farm Blog

To cut groundskeeping costs during World War I, President Woodrow Wilson brought a flock of 18 sheep to trim the White House grounds – specifically the south lawn. The war ended in 1918 but the sheep were on the grounds at least until 1919. Included in the flock was Old Ike, a tobacco-chewing ram. They were shorn and nearly 100 pounds of  wool was auctioned off to raise money for the Red Cross during World War I. The wool sales brought more than $50,000 to the Red Cross.

Read more here http://www.answers.com/topic/why-were-a-flock-of-sheep-grazing-on-the-white-house-lawn#ixzz2dkUcYYvq or watch the YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6nhqFIIGR4

Here in upstate New York, where mowing the lawn can be a competitive sport, we do what we can to keep the tradition alive.

To cut groundskeeping costs during World War I, President Woodrow Wilson brought a flock of 18 sheep to trim the White House grounds – specifically the south lawn. The war ended in 1918 but the sheep were on the grounds at least until 1919. Included in the flock was Old Ike, a tobacco-chewing ram. They were shorn and nearly 100 pounds of  wool was auctioned off to raise money for the Red Cross during World War I. The wool sales brought more than $50,000 to the Red Cross.

Read more here http://www.answers.com/topic/why-were-a-flock-of-sheep-grazing-on-the-white-house-lawn#ixzz2dkUcYYvq or watch the YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6nhqFIIGR4

Here in upstate New York, where mowing the lawn can be a competitive sport, we do what we can to keep the tradition alive.